THE `BURG - The Pacers wrapped up their first week of training camp Sunday with an intersquad scrimmage in which coach Jim O'Brien and assistant Dan Burke were the officials. I saw the two teams - Blue and White - play two 12 minute quarters. Each team won a quarter.

I was impressed with the White team in the second game because Travis Diener's foot injury left Jarrett Jack having to play the entire two quarters. The Blue team had Marquis Daniels backing up T.J. Ford. The White team, which also had Danny Granger, Austin Croshere, Brandon Rush, Jeff Foster, Roy Hibbert and Josh Davis, controlled the Blue team in the second game.

Here's my early impressions of several players through the first week of camp.

Ford - He is super quick while doing it under control. I've also been impressed with his strength and ability to get his shot up in the lane. His teammates better have their hands ready because he'll definitely throw it to them if he sees an opening.

Hibbert - The big fella moves better than I thought. He can pass the ball, too. I didn't see him get a lot of blocks in practice, but he altered numerous shots.

Daniels - He might be the biggest surprise of camp so far. Daniels is finally healthy, he's quicker and he's shooting the 3-point shot with a lot of confidence. He'll be in the mix for significant playing time at the swingman position.

Croshere - Not much has changed with Croshere from when he was with the team before. He's still not flashy, but he works hard - he's often one of the last players to leave the court after practice. I haven't seen him miss many shots in practice. He's pushing hard for a roster spot.</quote></quote>
The power of an expiring contract? :)

rexnom

10-06-2008, 01:37 AM

Definitely. I would not be surprised to see a great season for Quis this year. Possibly setting us for some great sign-and-trade opportunities next summer. Or, he might just go sign for the MLE somewhere. I don't know if he's a part of our long-term plans. Then again, we don't really have many SGs on the team...

CableKC

10-06-2008, 01:50 AM

With all this emphasis on our passing from Big Men......there is a need for players that can finish.....if anything....Marquis is one of our better finishers driving to the hoop. I still maintain that Marquis with his somewhat decent defense at the SG spot will be the 8th or 9th Man in our rotation....likely ahead of Rush...at least for the beginning of the season.

His first step is quicker. He's darting in the passing lanes deflecting or intercepting passes. His jump shot is more consistent.

So this is what two healthy knees can do for Indiana Pacers swingman Marquis Daniels?

"That's all it is, I'm just healthy," he said after practice Sunday.

Daniels dealt with knee problems in each of the past two seasons. The ongoing health issues caused him to play a step slower, which in turn affected his production.

"First it was my left knee, then I started overcompensating on my right, then it got bad," Daniels said. "I put in a lot of hard work and training to get me back to where I am now. I'm not having to worry about anything nagging me."

Daniels is competing for minutes at shooting guard, the Pacers' deepest position. Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy, Stephen Graham, Shawne Williams and Brandon Rush also play on the wing.

"(Daniels') strength is like Michael's: He moves well and he's an instinctive basketball player," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We thought in the last five or six weeks of last year he was very, very good without the ball but he didn't get enough repetitions for the year because he was always playing point guard. He's playing well so far."

Adding some plays

The Pacers put in about 25 offensive plays during the first week of practice despite primarily focusing on defense and conditioning. A handful of those plays were post-ups for centers Rasho Nesterovic and Roy Hibbert. One of the Pacers' question marks is from whom they will get scoring in the post.

"We need a low-post presence on post-ups and they're going to get plenty of touches down low," O'Brien said.

Nesterovic, who was acquired from Toronto in the Jermaine O'Neal deal during the summer, is also capable of hitting the midrange jump shot and is one of the team's best screeners.

"Rasho knows our plays better than anybody on the team right now and he's a really strong on-court leader," O'Brien said. "He has a way of helping guys out when they make a mistake in a way that he can tread on somebody's shoe without messing up a shot. He has a very tactful way of telling guys where they need to be and what they need to be doing in a very even-keeled way."

Maybe someone can comment on this.....but I thought I read in one of TBird's and UB posts that the quality of our Big Man Screeners wasn't that great. I'm guessing that Rasho and Hibbert will get some good burn at the Center position this season.

Los Angeles

10-06-2008, 02:53 AM

And the parade of "feel good" articles about every single one of our players and staff - all the way down to the popcorn guy - continues.

duke dynamite

10-06-2008, 02:54 AM

Quis still owes me a pair of his shin guards.

Who wants me to ask him Wednesday?

MillerTime

10-06-2008, 04:01 AM

If Marquis can show signs of being a good player, not just on the defensive end, maybe he can play a few games and we can use him as draft bate (his expiring contract is already nice).

Unclebuck

10-06-2008, 08:30 AM

I'm just glad he is healthy - and if he can stay healthy, he'll have an excellent season. One skill he has that is in desparate need for this team - he can create his own shot - so he is still a valuable player and defensively he makes things happen

Major Cold

10-06-2008, 10:03 AM

I am waiting for the first person to whine about him taking Rush's minutes.

Major Cold

10-06-2008, 10:09 AM

Definitely. I would not be surprised to see a great season for Quis this year. Possibly setting us for some great sign-and-trade opportunities next summer. Or, he might just go sign for the MLE somewhere. I don't know if he's a part of our long-term plans. Then again, we don't really have many SGs on the team...
How many sign-and-trade deals have happened in the last two years in the NBA? Peja?

All I am saying is that with the supply of swingmen in the NBA the demand for one in particular that requires something over the MLE is rare. And even more of rarity as the fiances of the NBA tumble.

If he can be a James Posey like player (more penetration and less spot shooting) people will use the MLE to get him. I don't see him being worth more than that comming off of the bench for us.

dohman

10-06-2008, 11:14 AM

Marquis has always been a GOOD player. He just didnt show it last season with his plaguing injuries. I really enjoyed watching him in Dallas before the trade.

If he can get his game back to that level we will have a wonderful backup SG.

Jonathan

10-06-2008, 11:18 AM

Quis still owes me a pair of his shin guards.

Who wants me to ask him Wednesday?

If you ask him you have a wonderful chance of getting a pair. "If" he still has them. Do not be afraid to tell him he is half the rapper Ronnie Artest is as well.

Will Galen

10-06-2008, 11:22 AM

http://blogs.indystar.com/pacersinsider/archives/2008/10/first_week_of_c.html
<quote><quote>
</quote></quote>
The power of an expiring contract? :)

Definitely. I would not be surprised to see a great season for Quis this year. Possibly setting us for some great sign-and-trade opportunities next summer. Or, he might just go sign for the MLE somewhere. I don't know if he's a part of our long-term plans. Then again, we don't really have many SGs on the team...

FYI, we have an option on Daniels next year, so his contract will only expire if the Pacers want it to.

CableKC

10-06-2008, 11:54 AM

FYI, we have an option on Daniels next year, so his contract will only expire if the Pacers want it to.
I want it to ;)

BTW.....given Marquis skills.....what type of team would he fit well with? I've always thought that he would do fairly well on a team with a half-court offense.

CableKC

10-06-2008, 11:58 AM

I am waiting for the first person to whine about him taking Rush's minutes.
If Rush is doing well, fitting in and adjusting to the NBA style of play.....then I will only complain after the ASB...IF he isn't getting the nod for 8th-9th Man rotational minutes as much as Marquis is.

Right now, I think that Marquis is going to get minutes at the SG spot behind Jack and likely ahead of Rush. But my hope is that Rush gets some minutes here and there to keep him refreshed and familiar with our offense/defense while boosting whatever trade value that Marquis would have. As a rookie, I fully expect Marquis to get more of the minutes ( over Rush )behind Granger, Dunleavy and Jack at the SG/SF rotation. I just hope that this isn't always the case by ASB.

rexnom

10-06-2008, 11:59 AM

FYI, we have an option on Daniels next year, so his contract will only expire if the Pacers want it to.
Yeah, I would assume we would let him expire though. I think he's a bit overpaid right now.

CableKC

10-06-2008, 12:07 PM

Yeah, I would assume we would let him expire though. I think he's a bit overpaid right now.
Yep....he's pretty much playing for his next contract now. I say....play him as much as we can behind Granger/Dunleavy/Jack to boost his Trade Value until December and see what we can get for him. I'm not as worried with Rush's minutes....I know that he will get enough minutes for him to get his feet wet in his rookie season so that he will be ready to assume a larger role by his sophmore season.

Justin Tyme

10-06-2008, 12:13 PM

I am waiting for the first person to whine about him taking Rush's minutes.

If Daniels gets much PT, it's inevitable.

I have never been impressed with Daniels, so if it happens it makes me wonder just how great of a pick Rush truly was.

I don't expect much this season. It will be an interesting season to see who gets minutes with the way JOB plays a limited rotation of players. Unless he changes his coaching style in that aspect, there will be many a post criticizing his lack of playing certain players.

I wish I could find the quote from JOB about Graham getting more PT this season after the Pacers picked up his contract for this season. I surely hope no one believed that spiel, especially Graham, when JOB made that comment.

He plays in the same wing rotation with the team's two acknowledged stars, Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. The Pacers' first pick, Brandon Rush, is a prized rookie ticketed for significant playing time. And then there's Shawne Williams, a promising former first-rounder who formerly saw much of his playing time in the big man rotation but now has been shifted exclusively to the wing.

Daniels appeared stuck squarely between the present (Granger and Dunleavy) and the future (Rush and Williams), so his playing time might've been a thing of the past.

"I'm used to that. I'm a guy who wasn't drafted. Nobody knew about me. I came from under the radar," Daniels said. "It's the same situation. I'm going to work hard every day and continue to prove myself."

For the first time since his rookie season with Dallas in 2003, Daniels entered camp completely healthy and his game has come back to life. Dunleavy has yet to practice due to a sore right knee. Rush is undergoing the typical rookie learning process. Suddenly, Daniels looks very much like a factor.

"I think Marquis is going to get a lot of playing time at the wing spot – a lot of playing time," said Coach Jim O'Brien. "He's a veteran. Brandon's a rookie, so Brandon has to show he deserves to be on that court, just like everybody else deserves it. The one thing I know is Marquis deserves to be on the court. If we were playing tonight, Marquis would play close to 30 minutes."

The Pacers will be playing Wednesday night, as their preseason begins against New Orleans in a tribute game at Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds – the team's original ABA home. For Daniels, it will represent the first opportunity to show the public what he has showed the team throughout camp.

"He is far superior right now to any time but the very end of last season," O'Brien said. "I thought he played great the last month (of 2007-08). He's leading well. His defense is strong, he's scoring. We had a full half of basketball (in a scrimmage Sunday) and he had 19 points, by far our high scorer, and he led us in deflections. He's just playing very, very solid basketball.

"I've always said it to anybody that wanted to listen: in my mind, he's always been a very, very key part to the success of our basketball team."

For Daniels, it's largely a matter of health. After missing the final 25 games of the 2006-07 season with a sore right knee, he entered camp last year with pain in his left knee and missed critical learning time as O'Brien installed his offensive and defensive schemes. As a result, he was playing catch-up most of the year.

He spent the summer undergoing daily rehabilitation sessions with the training staff and the results are obvious. He's moving much better, playing both faster and quicker, in a system well-suited to his diverse skills.

"It's just been a long haul, continuing to come in every day," Daniels said. "Even when other guys had off days I had to come in and continue to rehab, dedicated my whole summer to stay here to rehab just to get to where I'm at now. The trainers (Josh Corbeil, Carl Eaton and Shawn Windle) did a great job of taking care of me.

"We're very acquainted now."

Fans will soon be able to re-acquaint themselves with just how much Daniels, a strong defender and creative offensive player, could mean to the Pacers.

Croshere continues impressive camp

The player the Pacers dealt to Dallas to acquire Daniels in July 2006 is also having an impressive camp. Austin Croshere is still fighting an uphill battle for a roster spot because he doesn't have a guaranteed contract, but he's making the climb.

"He's doing great, every phase of the game," said O'Brien. "He's a true professional. He knows exactly what we're trying to accomplish, shooting the ball great. We're working with him on his vision as a passer up top. He tends to have a little bit of tunnel-vision and stares down the guys that he wants to pass to but that's coming. He's in great condition. He's going to be a guy that's very valuable, I think."

To keep Croshere, the Pacers would have to somehow trim, either by release or trade, two guaranteed contracts from the roster. Ordinarily, that's a prohibitive obstacle but O'Brien believes Croshere is in the process of hurdling it.

"Yes he is," O'Brien said. "He's just playing at a very high level. It's going to give (team President) Larry (Bird) much to think about."

With Troy Murphy sidelined by a sore left Achilles tendon, Croshere has taken advantage of the additional opportunity for time at power forward. His knack for 3-point shooting fits right into O'Brien's profile for a power forward.

"I'm happy with the way it's gone," Croshere said. "It's a good offense for me. I think my strengths over my career will help me in the offense we have. With Troy being out I've gotten a lot of reps and opportunities to show the coaching staff what I can do and that's all I can ask for."

Two starters to miss Wednesday's game

Two projected starters, Dunleavy and Murphy will not play against the Hornets Wednesday. Neither will backup point guard Travis Diener (sore left foot). Jeff Foster missed practice time Saturday with a sore hamstring but has since returned and should be available to play. O'Brien hasn't announced his lineup but it's possible Daniels and Croshere will be the fill-in starters.

Though the Pacers have had just one week of camp, O'Brien said he believes the team is prepared for game conditions.

"We're ready to play a game," he said. "I thought we did some really good things in our regular scrimmage (Sunday). I think we're pretty advanced in what we're doing. It'll be good for them to get some games under their belt. It's a good way of teaching."

CableKC

10-06-2008, 04:14 PM

Here is another article on MD

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800011567

Two projected starters, Dunleavy and Murphy will not play against the Hornets Wednesday. Neither will backup point guard Travis Diener (sore left foot). Jeff Foster missed practice time Saturday with a sore hamstring but has since returned and should be available to play. O'Brien hasn't announced his lineup but it's possible Daniels and Croshere will be the fill-in starters.

Though the Pacers have had just one week of camp, O'Brien said he believes the team is prepared for game conditions.

"We're ready to play a game," he said. "I thought we did some really good things in our regular scrimmage (Sunday). I think we're pretty advanced in what we're doing. It'll be good for them to get some games under their belt. It's a good way of teaching."
The only thing that I can comment on here is that this means that we will have a good chance to see Rush and Hibbert play extensive minutes. :pray:

I think that we will have a Starting lineup of Ford/Marquis/Granger/Crosher/Rasho with Jack and Rush getting the remaining bulk of the backup minutes.

Major Cold

10-06-2008, 05:54 PM

Man I hoping that Rush and Roy play some extensive minutes up here in Fort Wayne on Friday. I bought 4th row tickets.

MillerTime

10-06-2008, 06:12 PM

Man I hoping that Rush and Roy play some extensive minutes up here in Fort Wayne on Friday. I bought 4th row tickets.

ya right...how much were they?

Doddage

10-06-2008, 08:55 PM

Marquis is arguably the reason our season fell apart in 06-07. I'm not sure what happened, but our team was really gelling before the injury and we were on pace for a playoff spot. When he's focused, he's definitely an X-factor for us.

Kemo

10-06-2008, 09:16 PM

Don't get me wrong at times I like Quis ..
But I found myself yelling at the TV MANY times last season.. at JOB to take him off the darn court ... He turned over the ball more alot, and had NO business playing pg

Major Cold

10-06-2008, 10:16 PM

ya right...how much were they?

ticketmaster online it cost $100 per ticket.

You may not no me but I wouldn't lie, especially something so trivial. I bought these thinking I will never be able to get this close for this cost.